Fic & Tonic
by Linwen
Summary: Set during OotP. An HP fan finds herself trapped in Pansy Parkinson's body, and heavily disrespected by her Housemates. And she has a mission involving Sirius Black, with no weapons but her former knowledge of the Potterverse as a literary work.
1. A Sickeningly Realistic Dream

**Fic & Tonic**

**Chapter One:** A sickeningly realistic dream

_This is not my bed._

Adrienne McAllister looked up at the dark-wooden ceiling of a magnificent-looking four-poster as she stirred under the warm blankets. A strong ray of sunlight poured on her face from outside the half-drawn hangings. It was what had awakened her, apparently.

But she didn't move. She was very scared. Last night, she had had a few drinks with her friends, downstairs in her living room, and then she had gone to bed. To her bed, a very different one. Or at least, that was all she could remember. Had she drunk _that_ much? Was she... elsewhere?

"Hey, Parkinson. Malfoy's downstairs and he's starting to get pissed." A rough female voice called up somewhere outside. It was not a familiar voice at all. Adrienne had only started to wonder who this stranger was, and whom she was addressing to, when the hangings drew all open, and the blunt figure of a very wide girl blocked almost all the light from the window.

And she looked mad.

"Don't give me that deer-in-the-headlights look. Get your lazy arse up, dressed and downstairs right now!" The wide girl's voice was very threatening, and Adrienne did not dare to make a comment. In silence, she nodded and got up, quickly trying to remember something from the night before. It had happened before, after all. She _had_ drunk that much in previous occasions.

The wide girl started walking around, apparently very annoyed about Adrienne's slept over, but at the same time, helping her find some clothes. And it was odd, too. Because this were not her clothes, and no matter where she looked, she could not find anything resembling even remotely what her clothing usually looked like. And why was this girl putting so much pressure on her? What time was it, anyway?

"W-What time is it?" Adrienne asked timidly. The girl rolled her eyes.

"It's nearly eight in the morning. Breakfast's been served already. Draco said that you'd be helping him with your notes on History of Magic, and you've already made him wait for ten minutes!" She answered sharply, pinning a gleaming silvery badge to Adrienne's weird clothes.

"I can't figure you out, really." She went on. "First you say you love him, with all your heart. You hang with him, you do his homework, you help him with the exams, you laugh at every one of his jokes, you... sleep with him. And now you act like this! Of all the girls in Slytherin for whom the only son of Lucius Malfoy means quite the catch, he picked you! And you start acting like this? Can't you see it, Pansy? You're going to lose him!" She ended, and started cramming a brown-leather bag with books.

But Adrienne had stopped moving. Her mouth did move, though, as though trying to force words out, but the sound would not come. She touched her face and then her hair. It felt different. And upon looking down, she noticed finally the Prefect badge on her chest. It caught the sunlight, shining beautifully.

Pansy? Slytherin? History of Magic? Pansy... Parkinson? MALFOY! In a single second, reality dawned on her. She was still fast asleep, and she was having a very weird dream about the Harry Potter world.

But it looked _so_ real...

"Okay, Adrienne, you've got to wake up." She told herself, going back to the bed and lying down. "This has got to be a dream, and I'll soon wake up in my bed, in my house and with a humongous hangover. I oughta stop reading fan fiction while I drink, though..." She muttered, absentmindedly.

"Oh, and this... big-boned girl must be Millicent Bulstrode. Hello, Millicent." She smiled and waved at the girl, who had stopped picking up books and bits of parchment, and was looking down at her in utter astonishment.

But when Adrienne waved, Millicent caught her hand and pulled her up. Shortly after, she filled a glass with water and passed it over.

"You two were up till very late yesterday, heavens know doing what," she said, making her drink the water. It was a_ very_ realistic water, Adrienne had to admit. It even felt cold. "I have no idea what you were drinking, but sure it is what's making you act this strange." She finished, taking away the glass. Adrienne smiled.

"Oh, nothing uncommon. Just a few Baileys, and some whiskey. Oh, and Tony's Gin & Tonic. Damn, I _knew_ I shouldn't've had that last one..." Adrienne answered. Millicent was pushing her towards the door. "Hey, let me go. I wanna lay down." She walked back to her bed, but did not count on Millicent losing her patience. She pulled her arm, hard this time, and made her stand in front of her.

"Look at me." She said, and without a warning, she slapped her square. And it hurt. A lot.

"Ouch!" Adrienne rubbed her reddening cheek. How could it hurt if it was a dream?

"Haven't you been listening? Are you really that thick?" She yelled at her. But sure enough, Adrienne wasn't listening. Her cheek felt hot. She looked at Millicent resentfully. If it was her dream, they why was this girl hitting her, and why did it hurt so much?

"Alright, alright, I'll come down." She said, grabbing the bag Millicent was offering her. "Probably when I get there, I'll wake up and everything will be over." She muttered, dragging her feet towards the door. "Curse this stupid dream..."

But once outside the door, a very shocking view made her forget her aching cheek. The torch-lit stone steps looked sickeningly realistic, and as she walked down and out to the common room, the rest of it did, too. The light of an iron chandelier at the ceiling projected dancing shadows to the stonewalls, and the leather-bound furniture was superb. A few more students were scattered around, all of them sunk on their notes. It was, by far, the most realistically detailed dream Adrienne had had in her life, and she was starting to wonder if it was really a dream. She looked around, curious about the Malfoy heir, when her eyes met the pale face of the silver-haired boy. _Not half bad_, she thought, even though a frown adorned his features, cut with paper-edged precision. He looked a huge lot like Tom Felton, but it was definitely not him. There was an overall regal air about him that the young actor did not portray in the movies.

And of course, his pet gorillas, Crabbe and Goyle were standing near, presumably egging Draco's anger about Pansy Parkinson's belated appearance.

"T'was about time!" He called, and walked up to her. "Where are your notes?" He demanded.

Adrienne glared at him. Okay, no matter what kind of wacky self-insertion dream she was having, she was not going to be talked to like that.

"What if I just _don't_ lend you my notes?" She said, defiantly. Draco looked in surprise, and turned to Crabbe and Goyle, who didn't know what to do. It was just Pansy, after all. There was no need of threatening looks, Draco could handle it. He sneered at her, and at once, Crabbe and Goyle started to snigger stupidly.

"Ooh, look at the little tramp. Why so tense? You weren't like this yesterday," he said, walking closer to her. And before she could react, he had groped her arse. Crabbe and Goyle cheered and whistled to their leader.

Adrienne was beside herself with anger. Had he just suggested...? She raised her hand instinctively, to slap him on the face, but he grabbed her wrist. Now he was grinning widely, a look of sadistic delight in his cold eyes.

"We all know you're not very smart, but I'm going to act under the thought that you can understand a direct order. Give. Me. Your. Notes. Now." He said, putting pressure to her wrist. It was starting to hurt; Adrienne could not understand why. Was this a dream, after all? Her self-preservation instinct made her agree with Draco's request.

"Um, okay. But I think I..." she said, not knowing where such notes could be. "I think I left them upstairs."

"Then I suggest you go get them sharpish." He let go of her arm, and she walked back to the stairs. "And please, don't waste more of my time." Adrienne heard him saying, backed up with Crabbe and Goyle's stupid chuckles.

She ran back upstairs, to her room. Millicent wasn't there. She must have left the dungeon common room while Adrienne was arguing with Draco. _Poor Millicent,_ she thought, _it must be hard to go unnoticed most of the time._

But her problems were big enough to make her forget about Millicent in a blink. What the hell was going on? She found a mirror at her bedside cabinet and looked at herself. The face of an unknown girl looked back. How was this possible? If it was her dream, then Adrienne's face should be looking back. It was starting to worry her. What if it wasn't a dream at all? What if it all was... real? She looked at her hands, and fingered the Prefect badge on her chest yet again. It had the letters I and S at the bottom in small print. _Inquisitorial Squad._ The dreaded mini-army of Umbridge. Adrienne was shocked. Could this all be real, after all? And why was it happening to her?

Starting to believe she wasn't dreaming, Adrienne concentrated hard, trying to remember everything she had read from book five of the Harry Potter series. _History of Magic. The last O.W.L. The one in which Harry had the dream of Sirius being tortured by Lord Voldemort._ The exam was supposed to take place in the afternoon, did it mean that she had been given the morning to study for it?

Remembering she had to find her notes, she dumped her book bag on the floor and looked through her books, resisting the temptation of flipping their pages. _Hey, if this is real, I'd like to take a look at the spells,_ she thought.

But no notes. Instead, something fell down her robes with a small clatter when she got up. Pansy Parkinson's magic wand. Adrienne looked at it in awe, as it rolled slightly to one side. She picked it up, and looked at its dark-wooden majesty. What kind of core it had? Could she... _use_ it?

She aimed at one of the books on the floor. _Remember the movie, Adrienne._ Swish and flick.

"Wingardium Leviosa" she said, softly, and the book rose in the air, floating slowly. It felt so cool. Probably some of Pansy's abilities were still in her body, as Adrienne had managed to perform the charm at the first try. Probably all of them. They now only needed to be found out.

A shout from out her doors woke her up.

"Parkinson, move on! I don't have all day!" The drawling voice of Draco Malfoy echoed in the narrow staircase. Boys couldn't come up to the girls' dormitories. Adrienne smiled. She was safe there. But for how long? If Millicent came back...

"I'm coming! They're all messy, I'm fixing them up for you, Draco!" She shouted. And began to worry again.

_Relax, you're a witch now._ She told herself. _There must be something you can do, but what?_

"Oh!"

How did it not occur to her before?

"Accio notes!"

And a dozen or so rolls of parchment flew from across the room to her outstretched arms. _These must be mine, I mean, Pansy's._ She thought and read them lightly. The subject seemed to be History of Magic, although due to her ignorance of the magical world, it could have been anything else. But some spoke of troll wars and the Decree of Restriction on Underage Magic, and the Wizengamot. Yes, that must be it.

"Coming!" She shouted, and darted down, Pansy's books stored carelessly on her bag. Draco now looked very pissed off.

"Well, we decided to cooperate at last, didn't we?" He said, snatching the notes from her. Adrienne felt like slapping him again, but refrained. She still feared this new situation, even if Crabbe and Goyle weren't there. She wondered where they had gone.

"Okay, where do we start?" Draco said sharply, sitting on a leather armchair. _Oops, someone help me,_ Adrienne thought while picking a roll of parchment at random from Draco's lap.

"Er... wherever you want. This one, uh, is about..." she read the first paragraph, "troll wars! Yes, troll wars. Do you want to start with this one?" She asked. Draco shrugged. "Whatever, bitch."

"Okay, I'm going to read it once," Adrienne said, her fingers fighting not to clench on the roll. There were a lot more reasons to hate Draco Malfoy than she had thought of, "and then you can ask questions..."

"Wait a minute. What about the Retentive Draught you offered me?" He said.

Adrienne stared back. What the hell...? "You don't think I'm going to actually study all this?" He waved his hand disdainfully over the rolls. "I have far better things to do than spending a whole morning locked in here, reading things over and over. Where's the potion?" He said, straightening up on the chair. Some rolls fell to the floor. He didn't seem to care.

"Oh, the potion. I must have left it upstairs," Adrienne said to an exasperated Draco Malfoy, who urged her to go and fetch it. She ran back to her dormitory, yet again, and prayed for the potion to be there.

"Accio potion!" she cried, fearfully. And a capped crystal flask with a transparent-looking liquid flew to her hands, knocking down a book in its way. Luckily, the fragile bottle didn't broke. Adrienne picked up the book absentmindedly and placed it onto Pansy's bed. And gasped in surprise when she noticed the title.

"_Moste Potente Potions._ Wow." She gaped at it, not daring to open it.

But time was the least thing she had. If Pansy had such book in her room, in the week of the O.W.L.'s, then it was obvious she had used it to make the Retentive Draught. Adrienne flipped through the pages, looking for the potion's description so she could be sure that the potion she had in her hands was the correct one, and finally found it.

_The Retentive__ Draught: A very powerful draught. Gives the drinker the ability to retain information upon hearing it. Only ten drops are necessary to obtain the desired effects, but it only lasts from thirty to sixty minutes, depending on the drinker. It is said it wears off quicker on those with slow minds, but it hasn't been proved. Once recorded, the information stays clear in the drinker's mind for about twenty-four hours.  
The draught shouldn't be used twice in at least a forty-eight-hours period. The overuse of it can cause from severe headaches to brain exploding, due to the brain's delicate information-storing method and capacity.  
When correctly concocted, it should be odourless, tasteless and colourless._

"Trust Malfoy to cheat for exams." She said, pouring down one drop in her palm, to make sure it was odourless ("Odourless, check."), and then she tasted it with the tip of her tongue. ("Tasteless, check.")

_I wonder if the teachers are aware of this particular book being out of the library in this time-period._ Adrienne thought, and walked down the stairs. She hoped there wasn't any other colourless, tasteless and odourless potion in Pansy's room. She chuckled at the memory of a fan fiction story she had read the night before, in which Remus Lupin had gotten _pregnant_ (yes, pregnant!) with a potion like that. Some people had no respect for intelligence...

"Here it is. Ten drops is enough, or else your head might explode." She said, wondering if his head wouldn't explode at five drops. It was already all swelled up with his ego...

Draco took it from her hands and was about to pour the drops on a small glass, when Adrienne had an idea.

"Wait. It says it only works if the drinker, means you, read aloud what they want to memorize. And it lasts _only_ thirty minutes." She said innocently. Draco looked up to her.

"Then what are you waiting for? Leave me alone. And if you see Crabbe and Goyle, tell them to come in here." He said, measuring the liquid. Adrienne grabbed her bag and walked out the Slytherin common room, happy about getting rid of Malfoy. If Adrienne McAllister was indeed trapped in the body of Pansy Parkinson, fifth-year Slytherin student of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, then there was some exploring she wanted to do. Or at least, find a reason for such an extraordinaire thing to happen.


	2. The Reason

**Chapter Two:** _The Reason._

"So, _this_ is how it feels to be Pansy Parkinson." Adrienne muttered, rather grumpily, walking slowly down the dungeon corridors. "Why couldn't I be in Hermione Granger's body, or Ginny Weasley's or anyone else's, for that matter. Why, oh why did I have to be locked in Draco Malfoy's pet whore's body?" She wondered, sadly. Because now she knew her suspicions were right. This poor girl, this Pansy Parkinson was the silly, vain little brat that followed Malfoy around, doing his every whim and bidding. The feminine version of Crabbe and Goyle, with the subsequent requisites. Be there, do what he says. It was very sad to even think about it, let alone be there, doing it.

Adrienne wondered for how long was this going to last. It was the History of Magic's notes that morning, who knows what would come next? And if she had given it to him before, why should she refuse the next time? It would look very suspicious, but how to escape? She was thinking about it when her stomach grumbled.

_I'm hungry. I wonder if there's anything left for breakfast? Where's the stupid Great Hall, anyway?_ She thought. She was starting to get angry, as that narrow corridor didn't seem to end.

_Okay, think Adrienne. You're not this Pansy chick, so you do have brains. The Slytherin common room has been described as a dungeon common room, so everything else must be up._ And so she started to climb the first staircase she walked into. Now that she came to think of it, if the Slytherin dormitories were underground, how come they had windows? _Hm. Probably some kind of charm on the walls, so the students don't get mad and kill themselves._ She thought, but then, she remembered she hadn't had anything to eat, and probably wasn't in the best shape to throw theories about it. Besides, it wasn't her main concern, either.

Sure enough, her upwards path ended at the Great Hall, but not before walking a bit more and turn a few corners. She almost felt sad for the Slytherins. How can they like to have such dark and underground spaces as their dwellings?

Breakfast was over. Adrienne's anger grew bigger, and she wondered whom would she have to kill to get some food in the castle. The corridors were deserted, and the only noise came from the teacher's voices behind the doors. Adrienne wandered aimlessly for a few minutes, thinking hard, when a short girl came from a sideways hall, the Hufflepuff's crest on her robes. This gave Adrienne an idea.

"Hey you!" She beckoned the girl to come nearer. The girl obeyed, looking nervously to Adrienne's Prefect badge. "You're in Hufflepuff, right?" She asked.

"Y-Yes...?" The small girl squeaked.

"Where're the kitchens? They are close to the Hufflepuff common room." Surely the house elves would supply her with food. Gladly.

"I-I can't tell you," said the little girl. Adrienne lost her patience.

"Look, if you don't tell me, I'll take fifty points from Hufflepuff." She said, fingering her badge. Finally, it was paying off to be a Prefect.

"Please don't!" Said the girl, close to tears. "The kitchens are down this corridor, turning once to the left and once to the right. There's a painting of a fruit bowl, and..."

"Yeah, yeah, you tickle the pear, I know that part. Now go to class." Adrienne said, and the girl walked away quickly, wiping her incipient tears. Adrienne went through the corridor and reached the kitchen's door. The house elves were so happy to provide her with food, that for a moment she felt guilty about causing them trouble, even if in the slightest. And when she had finished her fourth helping of bacon and fried eggs, she was feeling very sorry for that poor Hufflepuff girl she had scared the living daylights off from. She wasn't like this all the time, but considering she wasn't precisely a witch either, and that she was trapped in some sort of alternate reality, she had to take advantage of all her chances.

_But why did this happen to me? What am I doing here, in this precise day, in the body of a Slytherin, and with virtually all the answers in my brain?_ She wondered over and over while she drank her pumpkin juice. She had never had pumpkin juice before, by the way.

_Okay, today's the last day of the O.W.L.'s. Last exam, then probably a month of doing nothing. I should be studying, but I have the feeling History of Magic isn't that important. After all, the real Pansy has already done all the important exams, I shouldn't worry about that. But then what? What's left?_ Adrienne emptied her glass, thanked the elves and headed out, not sure about going back to Slytherin common room. She didn't know the password, anyway.

_If Dumbledore was here, I'd go straight to him. He'd know what to do. Damn you, Umbridge._ She thought, remembering the wicked Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher the students had that year, and her appointing herself Headmistress upon Dumbledore's escape. But brooding on this wouldn't be of use and she knew it, so she considered the rest of her options. _Snape would surely look at me like I was mad, and so would McGonagall. If she was here, that is. And Madam Pomfrey would think it's the O.W.L.'s stress. Probably the only one who'd believe me would be the Sorting Hat._ She thought, half-joking. _And only because it sees inside people's head._ She shook her head. The Sorting Hat was unreachable, if Dumbledore wasn't in the castle. Damn you, Umbridge.

Adrienne turned around a corner and ran into a girl with bushy brown hair. Very bushy and wavy. She looked up with surprise, and her expression turned to hatred at once.

"Watch out, Parkinson." She said, and stalked away, apparently very upset. Adrienne understood perfectly. Another Prefect badge had tinkled against hers in the collision, and the symbol of the Gryffindor lion had jumped at her sight. It was Hermione Granger _Now that's how her hair should look like, not those cute, Teen-beat magazine-like curls of Emma Watson,_ she couldn't help thinking. Adrienne felt very bad with the look she had given her. If she weren't trapped in Pansy Parkinson's body, she could have probably asked for Hermione's help. Hermione had seen such weird stuff in her life as a witchcraft student that she'd probably believe her story. And she was currently the smartest girl in all Hogwarts. She had probably already studied for their last exam, and Adrienne was sure that Harry Potter had her notes this morning. He sure was studying them the right way, not like that Malfoy cheater. Coming to think of it, Adrienne wondered how had Pansy Parkinson managed to take notes in Binns' class. His droning voice was supposed to have the effects of a Sleep Draught that only Hermione Granger could stand. Had Parkinson cheated in this one? Most likely she had.

But going back to Potter and his friend, Ron Weasley, did they even know what was waiting for them after the exam? _Of course not, you silly,_ she said herself, but couldn't help the thoughts. Was Harry prepared to lose his grandfather? The thought of Sirius' death made Adrienne sad. That night, a good man would be dying, and there was nothing she could do about it. Or was there?

She stood in the middle of the deserted hall, pondering the thought. Was it worth it? Had she been placed in that position to save Sirius' life? The mere idea was downright crazy. Would she manage it? It was worth a try, at least. But if she was there for a reason, then this was it. No less than saving a good man's life.

But how to do it?

Adrienne put all her brains into work. She couldn't just go out and tell Harry that the Dark Lord would be trying to make him go to the Department of Mysteries, by the means of showing him his 'torturing' of Sirius. Considering how close she was to the Malfoys, they would obviously think that she was trying to prevent him from saving his godfather. And, being realistic, would he even listen? Wouldn't he rather listen to his own heart than the words of a Slytherin, who happens to be one of his worst (well, probably the second worst) enemy's cronies? Not likely, Adrienne thought. _I can't do that._ She said to herself.

There was Professor Snape. He was the last remaining member of the Order of the Phoenix, but sadly, Harry wouldn't remember about him. And who would, after having stumble upon such embarrassing memory, and having witnessed the rage of Severus Snape? They're not in the best terms right now, thought Adrienne.

_But probably, if I let it slip to him, that Harry seems somehow, 'unbalanced', or better, that he made such a ridicule in the last exam, falling asleep and then screaming, he might be warned about it._ She pondered about this plan. It was the best she had, so far. But will there be enough time? Upon leaving the Great Hall, Adrienne should have to find Professor Snape in less than five minutes, with a credible excuse, and then 'let it slip'. Would she manage it? And what was more important, would Snape hurry over to Harry before he'd crash into Umbridge's office? Because if she got wind of him breaking in, it was all lost. There was no stopping Dolores Umbridge of catching Harry in the act. Then, the youngsters would be going to the Forbidden Forest, and out to London on the thestrals, and Adrienne wanted to avoid them doing it. Somehow she didn't think Snape would care much, either. His hatred for the name Potter was beyond reasoning, and Adrienne wondered even if he'd enjoy knowing that Sirius was going to die by his hands, or rather, by his not having a hand on the matter. It wasn't a good plan, alright. But what else did she have? Only to make Harry aware of the two-side mirror he had in his trunk, to avoid him thinking about going over to Umbridge's fireplace, but how to manage it without looking suspicious?

"Hey, Parkinson." An unknown voice called from behind Adrienne. She didn't turn at once. She wasn't used to be addressed as 'Parkinson' just yet. "I'm talking to you, Pansy." The voice sounded closer, and a hand on her shoulder startled her. Adrienne jolted back to her senses, and turned around, as she realized it was her whom they were calling at.

A handsome boy was grinning to her. He seemed to be a Slytherin as well, but by the look of it, he didn't seem as mean as his housemates. Adrienne wondered who he was, and why was he in the serpent-crest house.

"Draco is looking for you. Apparently, he ran out of potion." He said, smirking. Adrienne took a moment to bring back the memories of the previous hours. And then she gasped.

"But how could he? I told him it was only ten drops..." She started saying, but the boy cut her speech.

"He didn't take it all, don't worry. Though it wouldn't be half-bad to see him go through real pain, for a change." He was still smirking. Now Adrienne really wanted to know who this stranger was. An enemy of Draco's in his own house? No honour amongst Slytherins, she thought.

"He spilled it over, after having Crabbe taking it. It seems he wants some for Goyle, too." He finished. Adrienne's face was fearful. She was supposed to be brewing the potion again? Considering she hadn't even done it once, it was no laughing matter. She put her hands on her face and moaned. The day was going seriously down.

"Nononono... First the notes, and now this. What am I supposed to do?" She said, her hands still over her face. The boy took her hands, making her jolt with surprise, and put them down.

"Don't cry. I have some of it in my room, and I'm done with it. I can give you some for him, but only if you do me a little favour." A malicious grin spread on his face. Adrienne's spirits fell to the floor. Considering what she had so far found out about Pansy's _duties_ to Draco, she was almost sure what kind of favour was this boy going to ask. She couldn't decide what was best, to try to worm her way out of her trouble with Malfoy, or to agree to the stranger's petition. But he seemed to have read her mind.

"Don't worry, I won't ask you that. I just want to go out with you on the next Hogsmeade weekend." He said, smiling. Adrienne still didn't believe him. Did this date include...?

"How can you know what I'm thinking, anyway?" She said, finding it weird.

"Well, you could say that there's Seer blood in the Zabini family, but that would be straying from the point. I've heard Draco boasting about it..." He said. Adrienne frowned at the name

"Zabini, Zabini, what does it remind me? Oh, that Zabini! So, this is Blaise Zabini? Not half-bad, either. Should be in fifth year as well..." She strayed in her thoughts. Probably this guy was nicer than Malfoy, probably he was smarter. Why would she trust him not to go out with her just for the...?

"Boasting about it! The little weasel..." She said angrily. Blaise waited, patiently, his arms crossed over his chest.

"But wouldn't he--"

"The little weasel won't mind, don't worry. I heard him talking with Nott about an excursion to the Shrieking Shack, who knows what for. He hadn't even considered taking you out to a nice place. I expect he won't mind someone else doing it..." He said convincingly and... nicely, actually. This was new for a Slytherin, Adrienne thought. Why was this guy in Slytherin?

"Oh, okay." She felt bad for Pansy. Draco didn't even respect her enough to keep his mouth shut about her.

"Okay, like in 'I will go out with you', or like in 'I believe you. Draco won't mind me going out with you'?" 

"Er..."

What was worse? To go out on a date, or to face Draco's spoiled-brat anger? The answer was self-obvious.

"Okay, I will go out with you if you help me out of this one." Adrienne said. Blaise smiled and headed to their common room, Adrienne trailing behind him. She had half-forgotten about her plans to save Sirius Black's life on the face of this new inconvenient, but she kept on thinking about it. She was trying to find a way to light the mirror option in Harry's mind.

"Dark mark." Blaise told the password to the portrait on the Slytherin common room's door, and it swung open. Draco was inside, looking very annoyed.

"Well done, Zabini. And you, go upstairs and make me more potion." He said to Adrienne. Blaise did a mocking bow and headed to the boys' staircase. Adrienne didn't know what to do. Was he going to help her at all?

"Oh, Malfoy, I was wondering. You don't need the potion for today, right? Because it takes a while to stew. If Parkinson starts right now, it'll be ready for tomorrow..." Blaise spoke from the stairs. Draco looked at him, a clear look of anger.

"Of course I need it for today! What do you think I'll use it on tomorrow? And why didn't you do more, stupid wench?" Draco slammed his fist on a table nearby, standing up. Adrienne edged away from him, but Blaise didn't seem to be bothered in defending her.

"I have some up here, do you want it?" He simply offered. Draco looked up to him and nodded, stalking up the staircase with Blaise, not even bothering in looking back to Pansy. She stood there, not knowing what to say or do, plainly astounded at the way Malfoy was used to treat Pansy. It was very, very unfair. Adrienne wondered how did the real Pansy felt about it, 'cause it was starting to annoy her, Adrienne, a huge lot.

Seeing that she was no longer _needed_ in there, she walked out again, tears of anger welling up. Upon arriving to the corridor, she started looking for a bathroom. There should be at least one in each floor, she thought.

There was a door further on that same corridor. She pushed it open, and luckily enough, it was the girls' restrooms. It was deserted, but probably won't be for much. The first period must be about to end, she thought, as she leaned down on the sink, tears streaking down, trying to calm down. Looking up at the mirror, she saw Pansy's reflection. It sure looked very sad, and even when she wasn't at all the ugly one in the bunch, she noticed some lines under her eyes that could as well be made out from many nights without sleep. Adrienne wondered about this girl's life, and why had she taken this much from Malfoy. Or anyone else. Was it her parents' advice, to cling on the Malfoy's heir at any cost? Or was it that she really wasn't very smart? Probably she didn't really notice the alarming lack of respect from her mates, specially the boys.

But Adrienne did notice. And it was getting to her.

_Calm down. You are not this Pansy chick, you can get out of this._ She said to herself, wiping off the tears with her sleeve, and washing her face.

The bell rang outside, and the racket of hundreds of students coming out of class filled the previous silence. Pansy flattened her shoulder-length hair and walked out. And got lost amongst the crowd of chattering students, most of them heading to the Great Hall. It must be lunchtime, she thought.

"Gotta start doing something, if I'm supposed to be saving Sirius' life." She said to herself, pushing away the sadness.


	3. The Beginnings of a Plan

**Chapter Three:** The beginnings of a plan.

The Great Hall was buzzing. Most of the students chattered cheerfully. It was Friday, and some of them were already free of classes and exams. But unluckily for the fifth years, it was not all over yet. Some of them could be seen still studying, their heads buried in heavy books, while their food steamed at their side, momentarily forgotten. Adrienne took a seat (she had thought about sitting near to Harry, whom she had recognized not by his scar, but by the flaming-red mane of a boy at his side, obviously Ron Weasley, but it would have been really weird for a Slytherin to sit on the Gryffindor table) the farthest possible from Malfoy. He didn't seem to have noticed her, anyway. She spooned some stew down her throat, not really wanting to eat, but thinking about that afternoon. She hadn't had a single opportunity to talk to Harry, and even if she did now, what would she say?

_Harry, instead of using Umbridge's fireplace, go get the two-side mirror Sirius gave you at the end of Christmas' holidays. Yeah, that'll do._ She mocked herself. _And won't be suspicious at all. Damn, this is going to be hard..._ She sighed in disbelief. It hadn't occurred to her that her plan would present so many difficulties.

But when she thought more of it, why would she fear to look suspicious? There was a human life at stake; any risks to save it were worthy of being taken. Even if Harry thought she was a total nutcase, or probably, that she had been sent out by Malfoy to prevent him to save his godfather (or even worse, that there was some Dark Magic going on), he would remember the mirror, _and use it._ Probably then, he would think about asking her how did she know, or something like that. But that didn't matter - as long as Sirius' life was out of danger, nothing else mattered.

This plan in her mind, Adrienne kept an eye on Harry, waiting for him to be alone for her to tell him. For some reason, she was afraid of Hermione Granger. Probably it was Pansy's fear of her outstanding prowess as a witch that made Adrienne feel such uneasiness. It was Pansy's body, after all.

But Harry wouldn't leave his friends. And they were about to leave their tables, and probably go to their common room. If they did so, Adrienne would miss her chance. Unless she followed them over and waited for them to come out for the exam, she wouldn't have a chance to talk to Harry. She had no idea where the Gryffindor common room was, though she knew their password. But she didn't think the Gryffindors were as easily scared as the Hufflepuffs.

So this was it. She had to go there and talk to Harry, never mind the whole Great Hall listening.

"So, Pansy, what will you be wearing?" A hand on her shoulder kept her on her seat. She followed the trio leaving the Great Hall with horrified eyes, to then look up to the voice talking to her. It was Blaise Zabini.

"W-Wha...?" She said, trying to stand up. He clipped her shoulder protectively, and sat at her side, not letting her stand up. "I have to go," Adrienne said, and tried once again to rise from the chair.

"But not before telling me what you will be wearing." He said. She frowned at his stubbornness. Why did it matter what she will wear at their date? The day was still away, or at least she thought so. She had no idea when was the next Hogsmeade weekend.

"Eh, a pair of jeans and a shirt, okay? See ya later." She tried yet again to stand up, but he didn't let her. "Damn it, Blaise! Let me go!" 

"So you're _telling_ me," he kept on, ignoring her words completely, "that you will hide that _wonderful_ body of yours under a shirt and a pair of jeans? Do you hate me that much?" He looked down to her breast in a way that struck her as quite disrespectful. Adrienne now got really mad.

"What does it matter to you? I can wear whatever I want on this wonderful body of mine, thanks very much. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Had he said _hate_? Did Pansy hate Blaise Zabini? Adrienne waved that matter aside. She had far more important concerns at the moment. The outline of the three Gryffindors could still be seen at the far end of the corridor, from where she was. If she ran quickly before they turned around the corner...

"It obviously matters to me, as I am here trying to get your full attention on it." He said, passing an arm around her shoulders. She tried to get out of his embrace, but he was too strong for her. Adrienne was starting to understand why Pansy Parkinson would hate Blaise Zabini. She stirred in her seat, her head turned to the door. Her hopes of reaching them seemed to be fading away.

"But seeing as you care more about Harry Potter and his merry friends, I better leave this conversation for later." He said, letting her go at last. She leapt to her feet and sprinted towards the end of the corridor, still wondering why this Blaise guy had chosen that particular moment to ask about her clothes. And how did he know she was worried about Harry?

But when she got to the end of the corridor, she didn't see them. Panting, she looked to both sides, and wondered where the Gryffindor common room could be. Her only chance to talk to Harry had gone down the sink, and all thanks to Zabini. Okay, now Adrienne hated him.

But the optimist in her gave her a hand. _It's not all lost yet._ She thought, trying to catch her breath. _I can warn him before the exam, before we even enter the Great Hall._ Adrienne checked Pansy's wristwatch. One o' clock in the afternoon.

_The exam is in one hour. They should be arriving here ten to fifteen minutes earlier, if we can trust Hermione Granger's bookworm habits._ She thought, and headed back to the Hall. Zabini wasn't there, nor was Malfoy. Only Millicent Bulstrode remained, sitting alone at the Slytherin table. She looked worried; Adrienne wondered if it was due to the exam. A wave of compassion swept over her towards her housemate. Apparently, it seemed like she would have wanted to be Draco Malfoy's darling, and when someone else had been appointed to that task (_Torture would be more accurate,_ Adrienne thought), she had willingly stepped aside and volunteered herself as such person's assistant. For now Adrienne recognized her earlier attitude. It didn't suit her at the moment. She couldn't understand why a rude Slytherin girl, as she had been portrayed all through the books, would care enough for Pansy, to help her get dressed and ready for Malfoy. Even if she had been rude, and slapped her on the face, she had meant good. In her very own wicked personal way, that is.

She sat at her side, filling a glass with pumpkin juice. It was starting to grow on her, pumpkin juice.

"Worried about the exam?" She asked her housemate. Millicent looked up from her food to Adrienne. Or rather, Pansy.

"Why would _you_ care?" She asked sharply. _Maybe_ _she's not used to questions_, Adrienne thought.

"Well, you do look worried. We all are, to some extent. But I am personally glad that after this one, it's all over." She said, smiling. Millicent's jaw dropped open.

"You are acting very weird today, Parkinson. First you sleep over and make _Draco_ wait, and then you care about someone else beside yourself. Are you feeling okay?" Millicent seemed disgusted rather than concerned. Adrienne thought that probably the real Pansy wasn't like this at all.

"The exam's stress, probably. I betcha I even sound _smart_ at times." Adrienne joked. Millicent shook her head, and moved away from her.

"Well, go stress elsewhere. Don't ruin my meal with your sickening care." She said, going back to her stew.

Adrienne just shook her head. "Why do I even bother..." She thought, and rose from the chair. "Rotten ter the core, the whole house is," she paraphrased one of Hagrid's lines.

There was no point in waiting there; she should probably be going back to the Slytherin common room to leave her books there. And well, she could do some study on the subject, even if it was pointless to read through several feet of parchment in less than an hour.

Having walked once into Slytherin common room, and twice out, Adrienne knew where it was. She found no problem to get there, and as she had heard Blaise speak the password, she had no problem to get in.

"Dark mark." She said, thinking on who had thought up the password. Probably it had been Malfoy. She couldn't see Snape setting it up, he seemed especially concerned about leaving his past as a Death Eater in the shadows, so why setting up such password?

"Hey, Parkinson, come over here." Draco's voice called over to her from a corner, near the cold fireplace. Why didn't they light a fire in there? It was starting to get cold. Adrienne thought about getting Pansy's cloak later.

She walked over to where Malfoy was. _Pansy's notes must be somewhere near him, anyway,_ she thought

"Are you finished with my notes?" Her voice was rid of concern. All her problems seemed solved out, and she felt strangely free.

"Yes, I'm finished. But that's not what I need you for. I need you to go up there and tell Zabini I'm done with his potion." He said, swinging on the seat.

_Why don't _you_ get your lazy arse up there and tell him?_ Adrienne felt like saying, but refrained. She didn't want to start another confrontation, so she walked towards the boys' dormitories. Although she didn't know where the fifth-years' one was, she was sure they were labelled. As in Gryffindor boys' dormitories.

"Blaise, Draco says he's done with your potion." She said, peeking inside the room. There were four boys in there, leaning down on something. They seemed very amused. Adrienne recognized Crabbe and Goyle's wide backs, and Blaise's jet-black hair. The other boy she didn't know.

"Blaise..." She dared a few steps inside. "Blaise!" She cried, as the boy wouldn't listen to her.

"Oh, Parkinson, how nice of you to come up here. We were just wondering how you would look in one of this," He pushed her towards the bed. She resisted his push, and stood on the threshold. On top of the bed there were several moving pictures, the kind that can only be produced in the wizarding world. And even without giving it a closer look, Adrienne knew what they were about. Wizarding pornography.

The boys noticed her embarrassment, and burst out in laughter. Adrienne walked out of the room, feeling distinctly hot in the face. Had it been Malfoy's idea of a joke?

Apparently, yes. He was grinning widely at her when she was back. "Saw anything interesting?" He asked her. She glared at him, unable to think of anything hurtful enough due to her anger, and darted out of the common room. Why had she ever gone there? What went through her mind to think that she could be safe amongst such sick people? Adrienne gathered all her strength not to cry, and walked outside, towards the gardens. She sat down there, behind a bush and buried her head in her hands.

_I hate this place. Why are they doing this to me? Why?_

She tried not to give in to the urge of crying, and surprisingly succeeded. A thought had sprang in her troubled mind, as she desperately sought for something to hold on to, to avoid losing it and jump in the lake for the Giant Squid to eat her. She could be going in the search of Gryffindor common room instead of waiting for them to appear at the Great Hall. It didn't matter that she was a Slytherin, she didn't really feel like one of them, and as time went by, she felt less inclined to play Pansy Parkinson's role. It was awful. She seemed to be the subject of all kind of practical jokes.

Leaping to her feet, Adrienne went in search of Harry Potter. In her way, she tried to remember the book's description of it. It was referred to as Gryffindor Tower, so it must be in a tower. _No shit, Sherlock._

Obvious stuff aside, she wished she could find a Gryffindor student to frighten into telling where their common room was. She remembered also that the quidditch pitch was visible from Harry's dormitory (or was it from Umbridge's office?), so she headed that way. And sure (luckily) enough, a little mousy-haired boy bearing the Gryffindor crest ran into her shortly after.

"Hey, you! You're from Gryffindor, right?" She asked, trying the intimidating tactic used earlier. The boy nodded, though far from scared. "Tell me, where's your common room?" 

"I cannot tell you that." He said determinedly. Adrienne tried threatening him.

"If you don't tell me, I'll take fifty points from Gryffindor." She said, and, to his surprise, the boy laughed.

"Go ahead. There're barely no points left, anyway." He said, and started walking away. She frowned and looked to the big Houses' hourglasses with the year's score. He was right. Gryffindor had only a few points left.

"Hey, come back! If you tell me, then I'll _give_ a hundred points to Gryffindor." She said, going the bribing way. But the little boy wouldn't give in.

"Prefects can't give points." He said, a shrewd look towards her.

"Yes, we can. The members of the Inquisitorial Squad are able to give points." She said, wishing it to be true. The boy raised an eyebrow. "Prove it."

"Eh, well. Ten points to Gryffindor." Adrienne said. And nothing happened.

"Damnit." She said. The boy let out a great _HA!_ and resumed his walking. Adrienne walked over to him, her curiosity growing bigger.

"What's your name, kid?" He didn't seem older than twelve.

"Dennis Creevey." He said in a slightly exasperated tone.

Adrienne felt like she was meeting a celebrity. The little boy who had been rescued from the lake by no less than the Giant Squid. A rush of emotion and pride swept over her, and she felt like hugging him. He was so small and cute! But she refrained, wisely, on fear of actually scaring the little one.

"Listen, Dennis. I need a favour from you. I would like to talk to Harry Potter. It's a very important matter. Do you think you can tell him to meet me at the Great Hall a quarter before two? He has to be there at two, anyway. Can you do that for me, please?" She said, trying not to sound desperate. The boy nodded.

"Meet you in half an hour at the Great Hall, alright. What's your name?" He asked her. She thought a moment about it. If she told him it was Pansy, Harry would probably have misgivings about it. So she went for her real name.

"Adrienne McAllister." Dennis nodded, and left. That way, Harry might even be impelled by curiosity to go meet her. Adrienne looked after Dennis until he had reached the steps.

"There he goes. A brave little one in a mission," she muttered. _Hopefully, it'll come out alright._

Feeling like she didn't have anything else to do, Adrienne went out for a walk on the grounds. She had half-an-hour before her meeting with Harry, and she didn't really know what else to do in that time. By no means was she going back to the Slytherin common room.

She walked around the greenhouses, looking in at the students having Herbology classes, and then she went down Hagrid's hut. He wasn't there, of course, and Adrienne couldn't help thinking about how was he doing, living in the cave in which Sirius had hidden two years ago.

And she ended up back at the gardens. They were very beautiful, after all, and silent. They suited her current mood, and the view of the lake at the distance, with the Giant Squid drifting lazily across was very soothing. Adrienne lay down there for a moment, looking up at the clear spring sky. She felt weird, being there, plotting to save a life that was doomed since the beginning, not giving a damn about what she should (the History of Magic exam) and living the underestimated life of a mentally-challenged student. Because this was what Pansy Parkinson was: a retarded. How else would she overlook the clear abuse of her rights as a human being? Adrienne wondered what the girl had gone through to before that day, and at the same time, she was afraid of knowing.

And what was she going to do, should this weird involuntary impersonation was permanent?

The only choice was to ask for a transfer. Dumbledore will undoubtedly be back that evening, and he will know what to do. Adrienne was planning to go to him first thing in the morning; hopefully his talk to Harry would be over by that time. She wondered about the two other wizarding schools she knew of. She didn't speak a word of French, so apparently Beauxbatons was out of the question. But neither did she speak Bulgarian, and apparently Durmstrang's students did, to judge by what she knew of Viktor Krum. And besides, Malfoy's mother had planned to send him there, and Adrienne _did not_ want to go to any place that a Malfoy had considered good.

But then, her chances were close to none. A re-sorting into another house was as good as no action at all, even if that was possible. She will still have to see the same faces, and who knew what Malfoy would do as vengeance. It made her shudder to think.

Adrienne checked her wristwatch. It was almost time. She better hurry up, or she might miss her chance.

But Harry wasn't at the Great Hall's door. Instead, a few Ravenclaws were there, on a neat row at the front door. Adrienne looked around. No trace of Gryffindors. She was starting to feel impatient when, from around a corner, a gang of Slytherins came towards her.

_Great. Just great. I won't be able to shake this people off to speak to Harry. But why he hasn't come?_ She thought, looking away from Pansy's housemates.

"Hey, Parkinson. Come over here." Malfoy called over to Pansy. She felt her spirits ebbing away.

It was five minutes to two when all the Gryffindors showed up. The difference with them, Adrienne thought, was that it didn't matter they were grouped; they didn't look remotely as a gang. Only a group of friends, heading to some place. She wished for a moment she belonged _there..._

"Alright everyone. Come in and sit down. The exam will start as soon as you settle down." Professor Marchbanks ushered them in.

That was it, then. Adrienne's heart sank to her stomach. She hadn't been able to talk to Harry Potter about the mirror.


	4. Plan B

**Chapter Four:** _Plan B_

"Damn you, Blaise Zabini!"

Adrienne sat at the back of the Hall, in the same row Harry Potter did. She had tried to sit behind him, but a nervous Hufflepuff had pushed her aside and taken that seat. Again, she had tried to sit on the one at Harry's side, but Blaise Zabini had appeared out of nowhere, and taken that one. Why was this guy following her around, thwarting her plans as though he knew what she was up to? She had to occupy the one at the back, because all the rest were quickly taken. Harry Potter was starting to look as unreachable as the Sorting Hat.

But even if she _had_ found a seat right beside him, what could have she done? Passing a note would surely result in detention, or any other punishment they had in store for cheaters, and probably the note wouldn't even reach him. And once out, they'd probably report her to the head of her house to arrange her detention...

"That's it! I have to make them send me over to Snape!" Adrienne beamed. In the face of Plan A's failure, Adrienne couldn't think of anything else than resorting to Plan B: alerting Snape.

Some students looked up from their papers as she suppressed a giggle, but quickly went back to them. Adrienne sank a few inches, and faked a look of concentration in her exam.

There was no point in trying to answer it. Even if she recognized some of the subjects, her knowledge about the magical world's history was incipient. There wasn't enough information in the books about it. Adrienne started thinking she should have taken the _Retentive Draught_ along with Malfoy, but then, what would have been the point? Passing a test she didn't really need, and risking brain damage with a dangerous substance? Adrienne had a few theories about those miraculous potions. What if it did have side effects, after all?

The only noise was the furious scribbling of the quills on the examination sheets. Adrienne thought for a moment that she should be writing something, as well. If she just sat there, not doing a thing, it would surely draw unwanted attention. But what to write? She didn't even have experience writing with quills. Slowly, she dipped the tip in the ink bottle, and pressed down on the paper. A small blot stained the yellowish sheet. Adrienne dragged the quill horizontally. The line drawn looked firm and steady. She tried a few letters, and then her name. It went out naturally.

Adrienne smiled. Apparently, quill writing wasn't at all that hard. Or Pansy's abilities were showing again.

_Dear examination paper:_

_I woke up this morning trapped inside a fantasy-book character. It is, by far, the strangest thing that ever happened to me, including the thing with the guy in the place. I don't know how to go back, or if I'm ever going to achieve a normal life in here. I wonder if anyone misses me at home. Probably Snuffles..._

Adrienne had a golden retriever called Snuffles. Yes, it had been called that after Sirius' nickname. The dog was three-years-old, and it was Adrienne's only companion. She felt a lump on her throat. Her dog will be sorely missed, if this thing was permanent.

Adrienne looked up from her small paragraph. At the front, the hourglass' upper half was still full. She checked her watch. Two and nine minutes in the afternoon. Time was going very, very slowly.

Two desks at the front, Draco Malfoy's silvery hair was shaking lightly. His right elbow was moving frantically, and he stopped at times to fill up his quill, and crack his aching knuckles. Adrienne rolled her eyes. She wondered what kind of carrier he was thinking about starting once graduated from school. He had to be thinking seriously of one, she thought, to cheat on the exams. What kind of carrier demanded excellent grades on the History of Magic O.W.L.?

Unless...

_Unless he's doing it only to prove he's better than everybody. After all, he must not be feeling very good about Hermione beating him in every subject._ Adrienne thought.

She checked her watch again. Two and eleven. Damn. Time seemed to be slowing down even more. _I should start doing something_, Adrienne thought. And she decided to write down her thoughts.

_Dear examination paper:_

_Surely you've noticed I am not answering the questions. The answer is quite simple: I don't know the answers. If I was the person everyone thinks I am, then I'd probably be at least trying. But since I'm not, I've decided not to._

_  
I don't know what kind of lesson I'm supposed to learn from this weird experience. So far, I've discovered that I'm impersonating a very unfortunate girl. Either due to a low IQ or an undisclosed reason (that __has__ to be very good), she lets everyone push her around. Her boyfriend treats her like garbage, even in front of his friends, which leads to a worse mistreat by their part. And she doesn't seem to have real friends, although I do remember reading about her being part of a giggling group someday. But the point is..._

Adrienne wrote down a few of her thoughts about Pansy. Well, all of her thoughts on the matter, and filled a good deal of blank space. She had finished with some recommendations for the real Pansy about how to make her life more bearable, when she heard a scream at the front of the row. It startled her, and for a few seconds she didn't know what was going on in the room.

Everyone stood up from their desks. Professor Marchbanks walked past the students, telling them off for abandoning their seats, and bent down to a boy sprawled on the floor, breathing hard and, apparently, having a nightmare… a nightmare?

Adrienne gasped. Had time passed that fast? She looked up at the hourglass on the teacher's desk. The upper half was almost empty.

"No, I'm fine. I don't need to go to the infirmary," Harry said to a very concerned professor.

"Damn it!" Adrienne cursed softly. She hadn't figured out how to make the teachers send her over to see Snape. The only thing she could think of was passing a note. She quickly tore off a bit of parchment and doodled on it. Then she thrust it at the nearest student.

Professor Marchbanks looked up from her desk. Harry had left the hall, and a very preoccupied Hermione Granger was stirring on her seat, exchanging looks with Ron Weasley. Professor Marchbanks gave them a dirty look. They went back to their papers at once. Adrienne's scheme had gone totally unnoticed.

Something hit her hand, and made her look down. The same bit of parchment she had thrown was back on her desk, and the boy she had thrown it at looked very disgruntled. She unfolded it and read.

"Mind your own business, Parkinson."

_Yeah, right. As if I could._ Adrienne thought. Her attempt to be given detention had failed. Probably if she did it in a more obvious way...

Adrienne had just torn off another bit of parchment, when Professor Marchbanks stood up.

"Exam's over. Everybody, stop writing," she commanded, and waved her wand. Every roll went flying to her outstretched hands, including Adrienne's.

"Thank you very much. You can go now," she said to the students, and they started making their way to an exam-less freedom. Adrienne's heart sank. She was not going to be sent over to Snape now. There was no way in Earth she'd manage it, not even if she cursed a first-year in the corridors. Or probably yes.

But before she even had looked around for one, an arm wrapped around her waist. Draco Malfoy's smiling face appeared at her side. The beginnings of a deep disgust had started in Adrienne's stomach, when he leaned down to kiss her.

"Stop it!" She said, trying to break free of him. He pulled hard, bending down to her face.

"What is the matter with you?" He said after a few minutes of struggle. Adrienne smoothed her robes.

"Enough of this, really. I am not taking this rubbish from you. Leave me alone, Malfoy," she said, looking him in the eye. He wore a very annoying sneer, but then, everything about him was annoying.

"Please, dear. You know you like me, and I like you," he said, a seductive tone in his voice. Adrienne shuddered. It appeared to be the beginning of an insinuation. He raised a hand to her face and caressed her cheek. Adrienne pushed the hand away.

"Maybe later, okay? I need to do some things right now," she said, trying to look calm. Probably if she looked like the only thing she needed was a bit of time, he'd let her go. Draco seemed to consider it for a moment.

"Hmm, no. Right now. I'm in the mood for some action," he said, drawing closer. She struggled to break free of his grip, but he was too strong. And he did seem in the mood to make her do what he wanted.

Adrienne tried something different.

"What if I give you something now, and the rest later?" She said trying to sound, at least, interested. He raised an eyebrow. Probably this was what the real Pansy was like.

"What can be more important than me?" He asked, a slight note of resentment in his voice. His face was a mere inch away from Pansy's. Adrienne fought not to move away.

"Let's say it's a girl's thing. Nothing important, really, only that it can't be delayed," she whispered to him, and drew her lips to his. He kissed her savagely, like there was no tomorrow. Adrienne stood valiantly the torture, and even kissed him back. Or rather, let him do it as much as he wanted.

Draco finally let go. Adrienne felt like pulling a face, but refrained.

"Can I go now?" She said in a whisper, willing her face to look happy. Draco let go (finally!) of her waist.

"I'll see you later. And don't think you're going to escape," he said, turning away. Adrienne stared after him until he turned around a corner, and then felt free to run to the nearest bathroom.

"Aaargh!" She spat on the sink, splashing water all over her face and rubbing her lips. "Damn you, Malfoy! Curse you, freaking bastard!" She said, drinking water until she felt her stomach was about to explode.

A few girls looked at her with increasing interest. She saw their reflection when she looked up to the mirror.

"What are you looking at?!" She shouted. They giggled, and left her alone.

For the first time in the day, Adrienne wanted to be really mean, to get back at Malfoy. She felt humiliated, her pride bruised and mangled, and she didn't want to forgive and forget. It was just not possible.

But she had something more important to do. Harry Potter was out there, trying to reach Sirius Black by means of Umbridge's fireplace. She still had a chance of reaching him before he arrived to her office.

Where was such office? She walked out of the bathroom and stood at the corridor, thinking. She didn't remember everything said about the Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher's office, and in fact, it seemed like there wasn't any information on its location. Apart from the fact that, indeed, the Quidditch pitch was visible also from her window, nothing else came to Adrienne's memory about it.

She had to be doing something, though. Not knowing where to head, Adrienne started walking at random towards the nearest staircase, which she walked down. It was then, when she thought about going to see Snape. His office was known to be down in the dungeons. She jumped down the stairs, two at once and ran into a low corridor, the torch flames rippling madly on the walls she left behind. Adrienne expected to find someone to ask about Snape's office, but it wasn't necessary. The Potions Master himself walked out of a door at the left in a swirl of black robes. Adrienne had a nanosecond to marvel inwardly about the aura of authority emanating from him before coming to a halt a few meters away. He stopped his walk, and turned around to face her.

"Miss Parkinson, is everything okay?" Severus Snape asked. His voice was just as cold as the stone walls surrounding them, but it sounded slightly interested. This was new to Adrienne, who had never thought him capable of feeling anything remotely close to interest about a student. But then, Pansy Parkinson was a Slytherin, and had been appointed school Prefect, probably under Snape's recommendation.

"Yes, sir," Adrienne said, struggling to catch her breath. "I mean, no. It isn't," she added, not knowing what else to say. How can she tell him about Harry's behavior at the Great Hall? She didn't have a clear idea about what exactly he needed to know.

Snape surveyed her with an emotionless expression, clearly waiting for her to speak. But as she didn't, he spoke.

"Would you mind telling me what is wrong?"

"Harry Potter had a fit at the History of Magic exam, sir," she blurted out. Snape raised an eyebrow, fixing his stare on Pansy's eyes. Adrienne stood the look, wishing he could read her mind or, at least, glimpse her concern. But he didn't seem to do any of the above.

"And what does it have to do with me?" He said, the same cold tone, barely louder than a whisper. Adrienne pulled herself together.

"Nothing, sir, or at least, I don't think it does. But I am concerned. He has become popular between the students, and I fear he might to do something... dangerous for himself and snare others into such," she tried to sound convinced, but apparently, she had tried the wrong thing. A slight frown narrowed Snape's eyes, his expression becoming surprised.

"Most uncommon of you to show concern about other student's welfare, Miss Parkinson. Is there anything _else_ bothering you?" He asked, shrewdly. Adrienne didn't know what else to say. Whether she decided to tell him all she knew or not, she had a strong feeling that Severus Snape wouldn't do a single thing. Besides, the way she had exposed her so-called _concern_, it only looked as though it required no more than a mild call of attention to Harry, next time they'd meet. Nothing of what had being said justified a rushed action, and it was clear that Snape understood it that way.

But it wasn't enough! Sirius would die that night if Harry showed up at the Ministry of Magic. Adrienne decided to risk it all and tell Snape what she knew.

"Sir, Harry Potter fell asleep during the exam, and had a nightmare. I cannot explain how I know this, but soon he's going to try to communicate with Sirius Black, whom he thinks is a prisoner of Lord Voldemort right now. He'll break into Professor Umbridge's office and use her fireplace, since it's the only one not under vigilance to reach him at... his house," Adrienne decided not to mention number twelve of Grimmauld Place. Walls had ears, and the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix had to remain secret. She felt like she'd be risking the safety of such place by saying out loud its location.

Snape had flinched at the sound of the Dark Lord's name. He now looked at Pansy with an indiscernible expression. It seemed to be surprise, but it could have been suspicion as well. She kept on, trying to cover all that was necessary. Now that she had started, it was easier to say it all.

"And if his attempt of communicating with him fails, he will be going to London, to the Ministry of Magic, to rescue Sirius, taking along some of his friends. And if he so much as steps inside it, _Sirius' life will be lost,_" she ended, her voice full of dread. Snape stared at her for a moment, his arms folded over his chest, and then gave an exasperated sigh.

"Miss Parkinson, it's a nice fairy-tale you have just told me. Unfortunately, I am not in the mood, nor will I ever be, to play along. It is obvious that the exams' stress has gotten into you. Go over to the hospital wing and ask Madam Pomfrey for a Calming Draught." He said, and turned to leave. Adrienne watched him disappear at the end of the corridor, and sank to her knees. All hope was gone.

She knew if from the beginning. Severus Snape wouldn't do a thing to save Sirius' life. It was obvious, all the memories still weighed on him, and he wasn't about to forgive and forget. But getting to the point in which he would let someone die was extremely selfish and cruel, and Adrienne couldn't help the tears running down her cheeks. She didn't want to think about the possibility that he had just thought she was, in fact, under the exams' pressure and therefore, delusional because the information she had dumped into him made way too much sense to be ignored. Sirius Black was going to die, and there was not a thing she could do to avoid it. As she sobbed on the floor, her face covered with her hands, she didn't notice the small letters on her Prefect badge glinting faintly on and off. Somewhere in the Hogwarts Castle, Dolores Umbridge was summoning her Inquisitorial Squad.


	5. The Mystery Unveiled

**Chapter Five:** The mystery unveiled.

Adrienne wept bitterly. Her last hope had vanished, and her weary mind had no more plans to save Sirius' life. She didn't know just for how long she had been there, curled up against the wall, crying, until the faint sound of steps reached her ears. She looked up, and made out the outline of a tall, blond boy coming her way.

"Sodding Malfoy..." Adrienne muttered, wishing with all her might to become invisible.

But Draco apparently hadn't seen her. He was fiddling with a wand, looking at it with interest and waving it around. It didn't seem to work in his hands, though. Adrienne took advantage of his distractedness and dragged herself to a dark corner. The Malfoy heir walked a few meters past her, and disappeared at the end of the corridor, taking the same path Snape had a universe of time ago.

A light went on Adrienne's mind. Umbridge must have already caught Harry & Co., and sent Malfoy to look for Professor Snape. Both would be soon walking down that same corridor and towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher's office. If only Adrienne could follow them, she'd probably be able to stop Harry from going to the Forbidden Forest. It was worth a try.

Adrienne rose from the floor, and looked for shelter on a broom cupboard nearby. She didn't think the Potions Master would be so self-centered as not to notice a student sitting on a corner. A few minutes later, steps could be heard at the opposite side of the corridor. It didn't seem more than two people, and they sounded rushed. It had to be them.

Adrienne waited until they were well out of earshot, and walked out of the cupboard. She followed the sound of steps as silently as she could, hiding behind every armor and statue, and squinted behind the corner. Yes, it was them. The sight of Draco Malfoy's silvery mane and Severus Snape's black robes turned yet another corner. She walked out her hiding place, careful not to make a sound, and followed them steadily; up through stairs and corridors until, finally, they entered a room. Adrienne approached the door silently, and pressed her ear against it. Only some indistinct mumble could be heard, but it seemed to be that, at least, five people were inside.

She backed away from the door, and entered an empty classroom nearby. It was only a matter of time. Snape would be coming out, and then Hermione would lead Umbridge and Harry to the Forest. Adrienne knew she had only one shot, and it had to be well aimed. She needed to immobilize Umbridge so Harry and Hermione would be free of her. Only then, Adrienne would be able to remind Harry about the mirror.

Adrienne pulled a chair to the classroom wall, in order to remain unseen by the people treading the corridor, and left the door open. She needed to hear what was going on. And a few minutes later, she heard the door open and Snape's confident steps walking out. She held her breath, and tried not to think of anything, in case his abilities as a _Legilimens_ would stretch out to the point of detecting people's presences by their minds, although she wasn't sure if she had read this on the books, or in fan fiction. But the sound of his steps faded away, with not even the slightest change on its pace. Adrienne could only breathe in relief when the sound died completely. Now it was time to wait for the others to come out. She raked her brains for a charm to use against Umbridge. _It has to be an easy one,_ she thought. And the only one that came to her mind was _Petrificus Totalus._

_It has to be easy enough. They learned it in first-year,_ Adrienne tried to convince herself about it. As there was no one to practice on, she would be doing it blindly, and her only hope was that she could manage to aim it at Umbridge, and not any of the students.

The door swung open. Adrienne held her breath, and heard several sets of steps edging away. Slowly, she rose from the chair, and peeked out. Dolores Umbridge, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter were walking away, the first one going behind them, pointing at them with her abnormally short wand. Adrienne approached them on tiptoe, and lifted Pansy's wand.

"Hey there," a thoroughly hated male voice made gave her a fright. She turned at once and her angry stare met a widely grinning Blaise.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" She yelled at him. It was the third time he had thwarted her plans in a single day. It was starting to be downright scary.

"Tut, tut, Pansy. That language..." he answered, still smiling that confident, haughty smile of his, the smile Adrienne had started to hate with all her might. "I didn't know I needed permission to walk on the corridors. Us, fifth-years can stay around till nine, and you know that."

"But what the fuck are you doing in _this_ particular corridor, at _this_ particular time? Are you following me around, Blaise?" His game was starting to be especially annoying. In the back of her mind, Adrienne started wondering if this was at all a coincidence. The trio heading to the Forest didn't seem to hear them, and kept their walk. Adrienne's anger was welling up on her chest.

"You could say so, yes. But then, what does it mean _to follow someone around_ for you? Is it the fact that you simply know where a person is going to be, and you plan to meet them there, or does it imply a constant act of observance and actual stalking? Because you _do_ know I haven't been stalking you, don't you?" He asked, but it was more a rhetorical question. It was obvious he wouldn't admit to be contradicted. Damn them, Slytherin boys.

"A-And..." Adrienne's voice (or rather, Pansy's) quavered with anger, "...how would you know where I'm going to be?" She really wanted to know. Because, so far, his inopportune apparitions were as regular as clockwork.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Blaise said, his hands sinking in his pockets. And he turned to leave.

It was very odd. Why was he leaving like that? More to the point, why had he stopped her at all? Adrienne walked after him.

"Hey! Wait a minute! What the hell did you want this time? Why did you call my attention?" She shouted after him, and turned to look for Umbridge. She and the other two were gone. Probably because she had already spent all her mourning tears down at the dungeons, or because curiosity was eating her alive, she didn't feel like crying at the realization that her last hope was gone, _yet again_. She ran to catch up with Zabini, who had already turned a corner. Even more, she ran past him and stopped his walk by the simple procedure of standing in front of him.

"Why did you stop me from cursing Umbridge? Because you did know what I was up to, didn't you? You have been warned of all my moves in the castle since the morning, why have you kept me away from Harry Potter?" She demanded to know. Her eyes gleamed madly. If her physical strength had equaled her anger, she might have been able to tear Blaise apart limb from limb.

But it didn't tarnish him. He looked down at her and laughed shrilly, and in a flash of light he had drawn his own wand out and was pointing to Pansy's chest.

"Don't make me hurt you," he whispered to her. "Now go away like a good girl and relax. There will be a time and place for everything," he said, his smile oddly cryptic. Adrienne didn't know what to say, and stood still, like petrified, as he walked away and got lost behind the corner. Until a heart-stopping blast woke her up from her trance.

A door slammed open, or so Adrienne heard. Her following Blaise had taken her away from the Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher's office. She tried to go back there, but it seemed like she was glued to the floor. Her limbs felt stiff, and as though made of stone. Probably Zabini had cursed her after all. _Damn you, Blaise,_ she thought.

Just around the corner, a few meters away, the cries of pain could be heard. Adrienne knew perfectly well whom they belonged to. The Weasley kids, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, had subdued the members of the Inquisitorial Squad and soon they would be running away to the Forest as well.

In a last desperate attempt to save Sirius' life, Adrienne tried to scream, to call on Ron or any of them and tell them about Harry's mirror. But she couldn't produce a sound. Her voice died in her throat, and it seemed as gone as her control of her body. Adrienne struggled to make a sound, to call their attention, even to fall to the floor and make a noise if all else failed, but it was useless. Soon, four pair of feet went at a sprint precisely the opposite way from where Adrienne was, and the sound of their steps was no longer heard. She sighed, or rather felt like sighing, and gave up. It was all over. _Again._ She had lost count of all the _last hopes_ that had vanished from her that day, and slowly, she dragged her feet with no clear purpose or direction. And noticed she could move again.

There was no time to lose. She ran to where it seemed they had run, but couldn't find them. They had probably already left the castle, and if Adrienne tried to catch up with them, she'd probably end up in the Forbidden Forest all by herself, and that was a place she wanted to avoid at all cost.

Adrienne turned back and walked towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher's office. And for the first time in a good while, she laughed.

Lying on the floor, her housemates were battling with their respective immobilizing curses, but the most amusing so far was Malfoy, who had the face covered with something slimy and... bats? Adrienne thanked heavens for Ginny Weasley.

"Mphft! Mmmphfft!" Cried the poor little thing called Draco Malfoy. Adrienne bent down to him. Draco seemed to notice her, and his look became of pure anger. He was obviously urging her to help him. And this was the moment in which the memory of his earlier kiss appeared in Adrienne's mind. She smiled evilly, and looked at him with amusement.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the heir of the Malfoy's fortune himself. I bet you don't feel so smooth right now," she shook her head. "Poor thing, Draco Malfoy himself being cursed by the youngest of the Weasley kids... If this leaves the office, you'll be a laughing stock," she grinned widely. If looks could kill, she would have been reached by an apocalyptic thunder on the spot. Draco's look was pure venom.

"Know what?" She went on. "I am sick and tired of you treating me like this. I am a human being, and I do have feelings. If you don't, then, that's your problem, kid. I will not tolerate you pushing me around and treating me like vermin. And just for the record, you're an awful kisser. Urgh!" She said, pulling the face of disgust she had refrained from earlier.

Draco looked surprised. With a supreme effort, he waved aside a few bats for long enough.

" ... Not worthy... of Slytherin... BITCH!"

Adrienne glared at him. _Not anymore, you, foul rat._ With all her anger exploding at once, she aimed a kick at his crotch and went for it.

Malfoy shrieked in pain, and curled up on the floor. Adrienne could imagine a pain only comparable to the _cruciatus_ curse spreading over his body.

"I hope they never work properly again," she spat at him, and walked away. Or so she tried to.

There, amongst the limp forms, was Millicent Bulstrode. She seemed to be regaining consciousness slowly, fighting back the curse, and Adrienne couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

"Finite Incantatem." Adrienne aimed Pansy's wand to Millicent's body, and surprisingly, it worked. The wide girl rose from the floor and looked around, disoriented. Adrienne pulled a chair towards her and made her sit.

"Call Professor Snape..." Millicent whispered. Adrienne's eyes opened wide. Why hadn't it occurred to her?

"Right." She ran down to the dungeons yet again, and rapped at Snape's door. He opened it after a few seconds, visibly annoyed.

"Miss Parkinson, I thought I told you..."

"Sir, Mr Malfoy and other members of the Inquisitorial Squad were hit by several curses. They look awful. They're at the Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher's office, and it seems that Harry Potter..."

"...went to the Forbidden Forest with his friends, yes. You told me about it already." He seemed bored of hearing it, as though he had heard it a thousand times over. But suddenly, his look changed. He arched lightly his eyebrows, and looked at her as if that was the first time he did. "I'll be going in a minute, Miss Parkinson, don't worry." He said, though in his usual, emotionless voice, and turned back inside his office. Adrienne bit her lip at his unconcerned attitude, and dragged herself away, gloomily. It wasn't fair. She had been doing her best all day, putting herself at danger to save one life, and the one that had this power in his hands wouldn't even care. It was... beside explanation.

But she didn't have enough time to brood on it; something hit her at the back of her neck. Although it wasn't painful, it did seem to pierce her flesh and reach her brain. Her vision became blurry, and the last thing she saw was a stretcher, coming out of thin air.

****

Adrienne opened her eyes to a face with a long, silvery beard. The twinkling blue eyes looking down at her through half-moon spectacles were full of concern, for a change. Her body ached from head to toes, and she tried in vain to lift her head.

"How do you feel?" The old man asked, his voice dripping concern. Adrienne thought for a moment. All that day went through her mind, with every tiny detail, including all her failed attempts to save Sirius' life, and how bad had she felt.

"Frustrated. Defeated. And wanting to die rather than going back to that place." She answered, thinking about Slytherin common room. The old man shook his head and sat beside her.

"It must have been very hard to stand a day in a place you don't belong to. In my opinion, you could do better in Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor. The courage you've shown today is worthy of the lion house, and your intelligence at work would feel at home amongst the eagles, as well," he said, smiling. "I wouldn't recommend you for Hufflepuff, though. Labour and toil are not your specialty, and certainly neither is saving your own skin rather than your friends', so Slytherin's out of the question as well," he ended, and seemed to be waiting for her to speak. Adrienne heard him while she recovered from her slumber, and as her mind struggled to wake up completely, her situation became clearer.

"W-Who..." she tried to sit and confirm her suspicion about this man's identity, but her body ached too much. Moaning, she fell back onto the bed.

The old man waved casually his wand and it was like a heavy weigh had been lifted from Adrienne's body. She was no longer in pain, and could sit without any trouble. And it became clearer who was the man sitting beside her, with robes of midnight blue decorated with silver stars and crescent moons.

It was Albus Dumbledore.

"You know who I am. You've always known it in your heart, as well as you have known, deep inside, that you wouldn't be able to change the story. Even when your desire of saving a good man's life was big enough to make you forget about your own troubles and let others tread on you to avoid being blown off course from your goal, it wasn't enough to change the course of Sirius' destiny," he said, sadly, a slight quaver in his voice.

Adrienne's heart sank at the news. Now it was all lost. It proved to be of no advantage at all her knowing the developing of the story. Sirius Black had departed from the land of the living. But how did Professor Dumbledore know...?

"Professor, how did you know I... I..." She stammered. He smiled again, somehow keeping sadness etched to his face.

"You could say I have a number of useful spies. Didn't you encounter someone repeatedly in your way?" His eyes twinkled, and the light was made in Adrienne's mind.

"Zabini!" She said, clapping her hand to her mouth. It was not coincidence, after all. But how did he know?

"He was always there when I was about to accomplish something. He stopped me from reaching Harry at the Great Hall and sit at his side on the exam, and he turned my attention away when I was going to curse Umbridge. How did he know, though? You weren't..." Her eyes opened widely. "You _weren't_ here at the moment! Where's Harry? What time is it?"

"Do not worry, it's all taken care of. Harry is safe and so are you, for now. As for Blaise Zabini, the boy you kept on encountering in your way was not him, though I cannot tell you who, or rather _what,_ he was. See, by seeing all this piece by piece, you are missing its meaning as a whole. If it hadn't been Blaise, it would have been any other person stepping on your way to prevent your having a hand on the matter of Sirius' life," Dumbledore spoke softly. A tiny glint in his eyes made Adrienne believe that he was fighting back the tears.

"So, it wasn't Zabini himself..." She said, more to herself than to the Headmaster. Seen that way, he seemed to have been a piece on the celestial chess of human life rather than a random, but effective, obstacle in Adrienne's plans. Dumbledore surveyed her with interested expectancy, as though he wanted her to solve the puzzle by herself. Adrienne seemed to finally glimpse what it was.

"So..." She spoke timidly, "Sirius' life could not be saved by any means?" She feared the answer, and apparently, so did Dumbledore.

"Yes. That is it. His life was doomed to end as it did, at that precise moment and under the circumstances it did. And so is every life," he ended, a slightly resigned tone in his tired, but full of wisdom, voice. Adrienne felt his words as a death sentence. He went on.

"The comings and goings of the universe are ruled by powers that none of us can understand in full. It has been this way since the beginning of times, and so it will be until the end. Few can us, human beings, whether magical or not, achieve in the search of the meaning of life, as its infinite ways spread unpredictably towards known and unknown directions," he turned to face Adrienne. Her look was of deep concentration.

"As you must be aware of," he continued, "I did not want the assignment of Divination being taught in Hogwarts anymore. I understood that even under apparently equal circumstances, the outcome of things was always different, and no amount of crystal gazing could ever predict accurately what was to come. You could argue that, at times, it does pay to know how to read a person's palm, but it wouldn't be true. Human beings are prone to generalization, and if it worked once with someone, we are bound to believe it will always work. But we are not doing anything else than trusting on what we could call random chance, or else, reading the signs of the passing of time and people's reactions correctly rather than doing an actual prediction," Dumbledore took off his glasses and cleaned them up on his sleeve. Adrienne was marveled about the wisdom of the Hogwarts Headmaster, and didn't make a sound, or move, to prevent interrupting him.

"And so is destiny ruled. Whether we participate or not, things that are meant to happen, will happen. Whether by our hand or by the hand of others, a person that's meant to live or die, will, indeed, live or die. Some people fear this version of reality because it makes them believe they don't have a say in their own lives, but it is not how it works. As I said before, human life and reality can stretch to infinite possibilities, and each and every of them leads to where it's meant to. If you chose not to bring help, then other person will chose to do it, but if help is meant to arrive, it will. And if it's not, then it won't, as you had the opportunity to witness today," he patted her shoulder in a very paternal way. A pensive look kept Adrienne quiet. It had all been worthless, apparently. Dumbledore looked compassionately at her.

"But don't think for a moment your efforts were in vain," he said, seeming to read Adrienne's mind. She looked up in surprise. "Every time we choose to do what is correct instead of what is easy, we draw ourselves closer to a better world. We grow up and become mature, and help our friends and beloved ones to do so as well. We make the world we live a better place, every time we do what it's expected from us, not with the interest of receiving a reward, but with the desire of making someone happy. Today was very hard on you, and I don't deny it, but by your faithful addiction to a noble cause, you have indeed earned wisdom, even if, in the end, you didn't achieve what you wanted," he said, taking a pause to breathe. "The purpose of the road is not the end, but the road itself. Depending on our choices, it grows larger or shorter, but the whole design doesn't change, only our perspective of it, which is, needless to say, too small to understand the reason of things," Dumbledore's voice was calm and soothing. It was a mind-scrambler to hear all those things, and Adrienne was trying to engrave them in her brain. Even if it exceedingly long and abstract, the Headmaster's explanation made all the sense in the world, and was, somehow, appropriate.

"So," she started, calmly, "in the end, my purpose here wasn't to save Sirius' life, but to understand he was meant to die," she said, half-asking. Dumbledore smiled at her. But still, there was something troubling her.

"Sir, how did you know I was not who I looked like? And how is my being here possible at all?" She questioned, but Dumbledore kept smiling, and rose to his full height.

"That is something you have to ask yourself rather than me. You only need to remember one thing: canon events must be regarded as irreversible. Always. That is the correct way. Go and tell everyone about it," he seemed to stray in his own thoughts. "Too many people choose the easiest paths nowadays, in search of their own fulfillment, and pervert what was once meant to be the truth to accommodate their wicked desires. You must not yield to such temptation, for it is incorrect," he ended.

Adrienne nodded, and lay down. Sleep seemed to be taken over her, and she fought to remain awake, the Headmaster's words lingering. He smiled at her. "Go back now, Snuffles must be missing you," his voice died away, as Adrienne closed her eyes. Her body felt very heavy again, though not aching.

Shortly after, she felt like falling slowly. The bed became immaterial, and so did she. Nothing existed, only the warmth, and her mind in the middle of it. The words of Albus Dumbledore ringed around, becoming the only and truly reality, containing all the universe and meaning of life while she drifted away; she didn't really care where.

_Canon events must be regarded as irreversible..._

A soft sensation of blankets made itself material over Adrienne's body.

_They pervert the truth... You must not yield to such temptation..._

The feeling of a body made itself present. A strange heaviness on her right leg...

_It is incorrect... You must not yield..._

Adrienne's eyelids fought to open, and her memories died away. As she regained consciousness, she realized something weighing on her leg.

"Snuffles..." she hissed, her voice heavy. Her three-years-old golden retriever was lying on her bed, fast asleep, his head resting on her thigh. Out of deep green covers, she drew her hand to his fur, and stroked it. He grunted quietly and stirred, still asleep.

Adrienne squinted through heavy eyelids. She was in her bedroom again, and it was almost dawn. The memories of the night before came slowly to her. A group of her friends, discussing the Harry Potter fan fiction material online and making mockery of its inaccuracies, while drinking heavily anything with alcohol in it constituted the most of them. The beginnings of a nasty hangover played at the back of her head.

"Hmm..." she hugged her pillow. _I must not read fan fiction while drinking again._ She thought, smiling slightly. A voice sounded very clear in her mind, back from a deep corner in her mind.

_Canon events must be regarded as irreversible._

_I know, I know. I'll pass the message..._ She aimed to think before falling back asleep.

* * *

Author's Note (yes, just one): Alright, after years of not updating this (I had even forgotten), I finally uploaded the two final chapters. I hope my one reader isn't disappointed by the shortness of it... By the way, thanks for reviewing, and, to the person who left that "snarky" review, be aware that it amused me greatly. :P


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